Artificial hand



Oct. 13' 1925' lse:

ARTIFICIAL, HAND Filed June 9, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented (Jet. 13,1925.

UNETED HENRY F. GEISE, 015 WHITES, WASHINGTON.

ARTIFICIAL HAND.

Application filed June 9, 1925.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY F. GEIsE, a

\ citizen of the United States, residing at Whites, in the county ofGrays Harbor and State of lVashington, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Artificial Hands, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to artificial hands and more particularly to animprovement of the artificial hand shown in my co-pending application,Serial No. 746,397, filed October 28, 1924, for artificial hands.

An important object of the present invention is the provision of anartificial hand having coacting grasping elements which may bepositively and firmly moved toward one another to grasp therebetween anarticle to be carried by relative movements of the upper arm and forearmof the wearer, the connections being such that the grasping connectionmay be obtained either by moving the forearm at right angles to theupper arm or by aligning the forearm with the upper arm at the option ofthe wearer.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a novel andimproved mechanism for reversing the operation of the movable member ofthe hook.

A still further object of the invention is to produce a device of thischaracter which may be very cheaply produced, which will be durable andefficient in service and a general improvement in the art.

These and other objects I attain by the construction shown in theaccompanying drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shownapreferred embodiment of my invention and wherein:-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an artificial arm constructed inaccordance with my invention, the upper and forearm sections being shownin a substantially aligned position;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of an artificial arm with the upper andforearm sections in substantially right angular relation, the partsbeing shown in solid lines in the position which they occupy when thehooks are closes in such position, and in dotted lines in the positionwhich they assume when the hooks are open in such position and closed asthe forearm and upper arm sockets are moved into aligned relation;

Serial No. 36,024.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 33 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is a perspective of the latch holding the link in opposedposition.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 10indicates a forearm receiving socket, and the numeral 11 a socketdesigned to receive the upper arm adjacent the elbow thereof. Theforearm socket 10, as at present illustrated, consists of an end plate12 to which are secured brace irons 18 extending upon opposite sides ofthe arm of the wearer and connected at spaced points by forearmencircling bands 14. The ends of these arms have pivotally connectedthereto links 15 secured to the sides of the upper arm receivingsocket11, the socket itself being preferably in the form of a flexible band 16adapted to be strapped about the arm as shown. The

upper ends of the links 15 are provided with 20 formed in a lug 21outstanding from the side of the end plate 12 and providing a secondhearing. The side member engaging portion 19 of the bearing 19 isprovided at its inner end with a lug 22 opposing the inner end of thebearing. Directed through the bearing 19 is a shaft 23, the inner end ofwhich has secured thereto a collar 24: disposed between the inner end ofthe bearing and the lug 22. The end of the shaft abuts the lug 22, whilethe collar 24abuts the bearing, and movement of the shaft in eitherdirection longitudinally of the forearm is accordingly prevented whilerotation of the shaft is permitted.

The outer end of the shaft is reduced to an extension semicircular incross section, generally indicated at 25, the outer end of which isdirected through the opening 20 of the lug 21 and formed beyond the endplate 12 with a hook25. Likewise directed through the opening 20 is asecond semicir cular shaft section 27, the outer end of which haspivoted thereto a hook 28 which, when in engagement; with the hook 25,combines therewith to form a single hook. The shaft sections 25 and 27,when combined, lit the opening 20 and are held in combined rela tion bymeans of a sleeve 29 surrounding the shaft sections and held againstmove ment with relation to the shaft section 27 adjacent the inner endthereof by means of st7op pins 50 mounted in the shaft section 2 Securedto the outer end of the reduced extension 25, as at 29, is a sleeve 30,the inner end of whichabuts the outer face of the lug 21, this sleevehaving an ear 31 aligning with the hook 29 and connected therewith by alink 32 pivotally engaged with both the ear and link. This ear hasfurther pivoted thereto a latch member 33 swingable to selectivelyengage in notches 34 formed in the lug 21, tomaintain the shafts 25, 27against rotation. It will be obvious that if the shaft section 27 beshifted longitudinally, this longitudinal shifting will cause a swingingmovement of the hook 28 either moving the hook into engagement with thehook 25 or out of engagement therewith depending on the direction ofmovement of the shaft. Since the hook 28 is pivoted to the shaft portion, the portion of thehook adjacent the pivot must move inapproximately the plane of movement of the shaft 27 and the re straininginfluence of the link 32 will cause the hook to be shifted into and outof en gagement with the hook 25 relativelyrapidly so that the hook in,its inoperativeposi tion is thrown completely out of line with the hook25 and will not in any way iuterfere with anything which is supportedfrom such hook.

Pivoted to the side member 13 to, which the bearing 19 is attached alever 3 5, the upper end of which is connected with the upper end of theassociated link by a link 86'pivoted to each thereof. The lower end ofthis lever extends below the lower end of the associated link 15 and isformed with a longitudinally extending slot 37, the upper end of whichis extended beyond the pivot connecting the lever with the side member13. Upon the sleeve 29 is formed a pivot 39 with which is engaged oneend of a link 40, the opposite end of which has a headed elementaldirected through the slot S7 and rotatable and slidable therein. Uponthis headed element is rotatablymountedalatching plate 42 which inoneposition permits shifting of the link upon the lever from one end of theslot 37 to the other end thereof. At either end of the slot, thislatching lever may be swung into substantial alignment with the slot atwhich time it engages the lever with stops 48 and will prevent movementof the link toward the opposite end of the slot.

The slot 3'? is so formed that when the link 15, when the forearmsection is substantially horizontally disposed, it follows that as theforearm section is moved from horizontal; to vertical position with theheaded element 4E1 atone end of the slot the inner end of the link willconstantly approach the pivot 43 and will accordingly draw the shaftsection 27 inwardly, causing the hook to close while a similar operationwith theheaded element 41 at the opposite end of the slot will cause theouter end of the link to recede from the pivot 43 and accordingly theshaft 27 to move outwardly and the hook to open. The wearer of the armis thus enabled to employ the device for grasping either with the armhorizontally or vertically disposed At the same time, a mechanismisproduced which is so simple that it is readily manipulated even by aperson having only one hand to make any necessarv adjustments thereon. V

Since the structure hereinbefore set forth is obviously capable of acertain range of change and modification without materiah ly departingfrom the spirit of my invention, I do not limit myself to such specificstructure except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim 1. In a device the character described, a socket adapted toreceive a handless arm, a bearing carried by' said socket, a pair ofmembers rotatable. within the bearing. one ofsaid members beinglongitudinally shiftable upon the other thereof through the bearing, theother of said members being fixed against longitudinal movement, anupper arm socket, andconnections between the npper'arm socket andthe'first named member whereby the first named .member can be shiftedlongitudinally of the second namedmember, said connections beingadjustable to determine thedirection of motionrof the first named memberas the first named socket is moved into or out of alignment with theupper arm socket. V

2. In a deviceof the character described, a socket adapted to receive ahandless arm. a bearing carried bysaid socket, a pair of membersrotatable within the bearing, one of said members being longitudinallyshiftab'le upon the v other thereof through the bearing, the other ofsaid members being; fixed against longitudinal movement, an upper .armsocket, connections bet veen the upper arm socket and the first namedmember wherebythe first named member can be shifted longitudinally ofthe second named member, sa d m m er ha ing fl tte ed 0pposed facespreventing relative rotation thereof and being provided upon their endswith aligned hooks, the hook of the first named member being pivotedthereto and a .link connecting the hook of the first named member andthe second named member whereby the hook of the first named member ismoved into engagement with the hook of the second named member duringlongitudinal shifting of the first named member in one direction.

3. In a device of the character described, a socket adapted to receive ahandless arm, a bearing carried by said socket, a pair of membersrotatable Within the bearing, one of said members being longitudinallyshiftable upon the other thereof through the bearing, the other of saidmembers being fixed against longitudinal movement, an upper arm socket,connections between the upper arm socket and the first named memberwhereby the first named member can be shifted longitudinally of thesecond named member, said members having fiattened opposed facespreventing relative rotation thereof and being provided upon their endswith aligned hooks, a, sleeve secured to the Second named memberadjacent the hook thereof, the hook of the first named member beingpivoted to the outer end of the first named member, the sleeve having anear and a link connecting said ear and hook of the first named member.

"J;. In a device of the character described, a socket adapted to receivea handless arm, a bearing carried by said socket, a pair of membersrotatable Within the bearing, one of said members being longitudinallyshiftable upon the other thereof through the bearing, the other of saidmembers being fixed against longitudinal movement, an upper arm socket,connections between the upper arm socket and the first named memberwhereby the first named member can be shifted longitudinally of thesecond named member, including a lever pivoted to the forearm socket andhaving the upper end thereof connected to the upper arm socket, saidlever having its lower end extended below the point of connection to theforearm socket and having a slot extending to 0pposite sides of thepoint of connection and transversely of the forearm socket when thforearm socket is at right angles to the upper arm socket, a linkconnected to the first named member and having a pin engageable in saidslot and shiftable therein and means for locking the link in adjustedpositions.

5. In a device of the character described, a socket adapted to receive ahandless arm, a bearing carried by said socket, a pair of membersrotatable within the bearing, one of said members being longitudinallyshiftable upon the other thereof through the bearing, the other of saidmembers being fixed against longitudinal movement, an upper arm socket,connection between the upper arm socket and the first named member wiereby the first named member can be shifted longitudinally of thesecond named member, said members having flattened opposed facespreventing relative rotation thereof and being provided upon their endswith aligned hooks, including a lever pivoted to the forearm socket andhaving the upper end thereof connected to the upper arm socket, saidlever having its lower end extended below the point of connection to theforearm socket and having a slot extending to opposite sides of thepoint of connection and transversely of the forearm socket when theforearm socket is at right angles to the upper arm socket, a linkconnected to the first named member and having a pin engageable in saidslot and shiftable therein and means for locking the link in adjustedpositions.

6. In a device of the character described, a socket adapted to recelve ahandless arm, a bearing carried by said socket, a pair of membersrotatable within the bearing, one of said members being longitudinallyshiftable upon the other thereof through the bearing, the other of saidmembers being fixed against longitudinal movement, an upper arm socket,and connections between the upper arm socket and the first named memberwhereby the first named member can be shifted longitudinally of thesecond named member, a link pivoted upon the forearm socket and havingconnection with the upper arm socket whereby a portion of said linksapproaches the outer end of the forearm socket as the forearm socket ismoved from a position at right angles to a position where it aligns withthe upper arm socket and the second portion moving reversely from thefirst named portion and a second link connectible with the first namedlink at either of said portions and having engagement with the firstnamed member adjacent the outer end of the upper arm socket.

7. In a device of the character described, a socket adapted to receive ahandless arm, a bearing carried by said socket, a pair of membersrotatable Within the bearing, one of said members being longitudinallyshiftable upon the other thereof through the bearing, the other of saidmembers being fixed against longitudinal movement, an upper arm socket,connections between the upper arm socket and the first named memberwhereby the first named member can be shifted longitudinally of thesecond named member, said members having flattened opposed facespreventing relative rotation thereof and being provided upon their endswith aligned hooks, a-sleeve secured to the forearmsockethavingrabearjng the outer econd named me nbe adjacent the hooksurface 0f WhiCh is plOXidBd With thereof, the hook of the vfirst namedmember notches, the sleeve having pivroted t ereto a 10 vbeingpi-voted'to the outer end of the first latch 01,e g gementinaid,.nOt0.heS- 5 named member; the sleeve having an ear and v Intestlmony whereof ,I hereunto affix my a link connectingsaid ear andhook of the slgnatul'efirst named member, the outer end of the HENRY F.GEISE.

